Aa
Need to treat
I have not been to hep c doc for several years. I now have a new doc and went yesterday. He is going to look at my throat to see if any problems there with varices. (Spelling not sure about). Then we will treat right away. I heard him telling nurse Sovaldi and something else. I had a biopsy 5 yrs. ago and it said F1-F2 and then enzymes are always good. I am so hoping to get treatment but so scared I might have to do interferon. What do you think I might get to do? I will be 60 years old next month. Stoked but Scared!
Yes I think your right about all you just said. That's cool that during your laparoscopic surgery your doc saw your liver, a freebie!
It would be great if you could wait for interferon free, but if not its only 12 weeks. What ever you come up with let us know. Good luck with your procedure.
Kitty
It would be great if you could wait for interferon free, but if not its only 12 weeks. What ever you come up with let us know. Good luck with your procedure.
Kitty
I wondered about that myself. I have never had any trouble with anything that was attributed to my liver. I think he may just be looking for progression and since he is a new doctor for me, he may just not take me at my word and find out on his own. I had a laproscopic surgery a year ago with mesh for a pelvic condition and my doc that did it said my liver looked fine, if he did not know I had hep C he would not have believed it. Now, how he seen my liver I do not know, I guess the camera on the robot enabled him too. Oh well there is no use of me dreading the treatment until I am told what he wants to do. I hate to wait another year to treat, I have very little energy and body aches, I wondered if it is not the hep c instead of fibromyalgia. surely the treatment with the sovaldi included is not as bad as it was for the others who had a 48 wks of tx. Maybe I could do the 12 weeks or the 24.
According to what truredhead posted, F1-F2 was the status 5 years ago. If the doctor is checking for varices, he is checking for the progression of the disease 5 years later. If varices are found, the disease has progressed significantly. Varices are one of the symptoms of Stage 4 cirrhosis.
Nan
Nan
I'm confused, why would a doctor look for varices if one only has mild liver damage, F1-F2? Is it possible to have them with little damage?
Kitty
Kitty
Sorry if you thought I was implying that you can not read. Hector's was a long post with a lot of technical information and I thought you might have missed it as it did address your questions. No insult intended.
If you do have esophageal varices, that would indicate that you have advanced liver disease. This a very scary thing for anyone going through this.
You have a lot of people on this forum who have been through so much and can give you good advice and support. You came to the right place.
I wish you the best as you move forward into treatment.
Nan
If you do have esophageal varices, that would indicate that you have advanced liver disease. This a very scary thing for anyone going through this.
You have a lot of people on this forum who have been through so much and can give you good advice and support. You came to the right place.
I wish you the best as you move forward into treatment.
Nan
No I read the post of Hectors, I can read. That biopsy was 5 years ago and alot could have changed. I asked the Doc about another biopsy and he stated they do not do that as much anymore, all he wanted to know was if I had any varices in my throat and for me to take two blood tests for him and that was all he needed now. So I go in for an endoscopy this Thurs morning in which he said he could tell what he needed to know then. I guess when I post I do it to talk myself through this, I have been watching the trials and the forums since I was diagnosed. And I know that I like to hear from people that have already done what I am about to do and how it turned out with them. This is a very scary thing for me.
Perhaps you missed this part of Hector's post above:
"First find out what stage of liver disease you have.
You can probably wait until interferon and ribavirin free treatment is available at the end of the year. If you are F2 you can surely chose to wait.
If you treat now now with Gilead's treatment of Sovaldi + peg-IFN and ribavirin...the trial SRV rate for treatment naive genotype 1b was 82%.
The one pill a day (no interferon or ribavirin treatment) Gilead treatment that will be available late this year, has a higher SVR rate and has minimal side effects compared to both interferon + riba or with riba alone. "
The most common side effects of sofosbuvir /interferon/ribavirin combination therapy in clinical trials were fatigue, headache, nausea, insomnia, and anemia. The major concern with ribavirin is hemolytic anemia. Pegylated interferon can cause numerous side effects.
Nan
"First find out what stage of liver disease you have.
You can probably wait until interferon and ribavirin free treatment is available at the end of the year. If you are F2 you can surely chose to wait.
If you treat now now with Gilead's treatment of Sovaldi + peg-IFN and ribavirin...the trial SRV rate for treatment naive genotype 1b was 82%.
The one pill a day (no interferon or ribavirin treatment) Gilead treatment that will be available late this year, has a higher SVR rate and has minimal side effects compared to both interferon + riba or with riba alone. "
The most common side effects of sofosbuvir /interferon/ribavirin combination therapy in clinical trials were fatigue, headache, nausea, insomnia, and anemia. The major concern with ribavirin is hemolytic anemia. Pegylated interferon can cause numerous side effects.
Nan
I was told I was 1A. It has been 5 yrs since biopsy that said F1- F2. I do not drink and try to eat decent but I am wondering if there is no other way now but the inteferon? Is the sides better with the solvaldi and the interferon? Do they start it at the first dose?
Do you have to treat now?
First find out what stage of liver disease you have.
You can probably wait until interferon and ribavirin free treatment is available at the end of the year. If you are F2 you can surely chose to wait.
If you treat now now with Gilead's treatment of Sovaldi + peg-IFN and ribavirin...the trial SRV rate for treatment naive genotype 1b was 82%.
The one pill a day (no interferon or ribavirin treatment) Gilead treatment that will be available late this year, has a higher SVR rate and has minimal side effects compared to both interferon + riba or with riba alone.
" FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 18, 2013-- Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced topline results from three Phase 3 clinical trials (ION-1, ION-2 and ION-3) evaluating the investigational once-daily fixed-dose combination of the nucleotide analog polymerase inhibitor sofosbuvir (SOF) 400 mg and the NS5A inhibitor ledipasvir (LDV) 90 mg, with and without ribavirin (RBV), for the treatment of genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
Across the three studies, 1,952 patients with genotype 1 HCV infection were randomized to receive SOF/LDV with or without RBV for eight, 12 or 24 weeks of therapy. Of these, 1,512 patients were treatment-naïve, 440 were treatment experienced and 224 had compensated cirrhosis.
The intent-to-treat SVR12 rates observed to date in the ION studies are summarized in the table below. Results of the 24-week arms from ION-1 will be available in the first quarter of 2014 and will be presented at a future scientific meeting.
Study
Treatment Duration SVR12 Rates
ION-1 GT 1 treatment-naïve (including 15.7 percent (136/865) with cirrhosis)
SOF/LDV 12 weeks 97.7% (209/214)
SOF/LDV + RBV 12 weeks 97.2% (211/217)
SOF/LDV 24 weeks NA (n=217)
SOF/LDV + RBV 24 weeks NA (n=217)
ION-2 GT 1 treatment-experienced (including 20.0 percent (88/440) with cirrhosis)
SOF/LDV 12 weeks 93.6% (102/109)
SOF/LDV+RBV 12 weeks 96.4% (107/111)
SOF/LDV 24 weeks 99.1% (108/109)
SOF/LDV+RBV 24 weeks 99.1% (110/111)
ION-3 GT 1 treatment-naïve SOF/LDV 8 weeks 94.0% (202/215)
SOF/LDV + RBV 8 weeks 93.1% (201/216)
SOF/LDV 12 weeks 95.4% (206/216)
Of the 1,518 patients randomized to the 12-week arms of ION-1 and to all arms of ION-2 and ION-3, 1,456 patients (95.9 percent) achieved the primary efficacy endpoint of SVR12. Of the 62 patients (4.1 percent) who failed to achieve SVR12, 36 patients (2.4 percent) experienced virologic failure: 35 due to relapse and only one patient due to on-treatment breakthrough (with documented non-compliance). Twenty-six patients (1.7 percent) were lost to follow-up or withdrew consent.
Fewer adverse events were observed in the RBV-free, fixed-dose combination arms compared to the RBV-containing arms in all ION studies. Adverse events observed in those taking the SOF/LDV tablet were generally mild and included fatigue and headache. In the RBV-containing arms of the ION studies, the most common adverse events were fatigue, headache, nausea and insomnia. Anemia, which is a common side effect associated with RBV, was reported in 0.5 percent of patients in the SOF/LDV arms versus 9.2 percent of patients in the RBV-containing arms. Less than 1 percent of patients in the studies discontinued treatment due to treatment-emergent adverse events."
Good luck!
Hector
First find out what stage of liver disease you have.
You can probably wait until interferon and ribavirin free treatment is available at the end of the year. If you are F2 you can surely chose to wait.
If you treat now now with Gilead's treatment of Sovaldi + peg-IFN and ribavirin...the trial SRV rate for treatment naive genotype 1b was 82%.
The one pill a day (no interferon or ribavirin treatment) Gilead treatment that will be available late this year, has a higher SVR rate and has minimal side effects compared to both interferon + riba or with riba alone.
" FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 18, 2013-- Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced topline results from three Phase 3 clinical trials (ION-1, ION-2 and ION-3) evaluating the investigational once-daily fixed-dose combination of the nucleotide analog polymerase inhibitor sofosbuvir (SOF) 400 mg and the NS5A inhibitor ledipasvir (LDV) 90 mg, with and without ribavirin (RBV), for the treatment of genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
Across the three studies, 1,952 patients with genotype 1 HCV infection were randomized to receive SOF/LDV with or without RBV for eight, 12 or 24 weeks of therapy. Of these, 1,512 patients were treatment-naïve, 440 were treatment experienced and 224 had compensated cirrhosis.
The intent-to-treat SVR12 rates observed to date in the ION studies are summarized in the table below. Results of the 24-week arms from ION-1 will be available in the first quarter of 2014 and will be presented at a future scientific meeting.
Study
Treatment Duration SVR12 Rates
ION-1 GT 1 treatment-naïve (including 15.7 percent (136/865) with cirrhosis)
SOF/LDV 12 weeks 97.7% (209/214)
SOF/LDV + RBV 12 weeks 97.2% (211/217)
SOF/LDV 24 weeks NA (n=217)
SOF/LDV + RBV 24 weeks NA (n=217)
ION-2 GT 1 treatment-experienced (including 20.0 percent (88/440) with cirrhosis)
SOF/LDV 12 weeks 93.6% (102/109)
SOF/LDV+RBV 12 weeks 96.4% (107/111)
SOF/LDV 24 weeks 99.1% (108/109)
SOF/LDV+RBV 24 weeks 99.1% (110/111)
ION-3 GT 1 treatment-naïve SOF/LDV 8 weeks 94.0% (202/215)
SOF/LDV + RBV 8 weeks 93.1% (201/216)
SOF/LDV 12 weeks 95.4% (206/216)
Of the 1,518 patients randomized to the 12-week arms of ION-1 and to all arms of ION-2 and ION-3, 1,456 patients (95.9 percent) achieved the primary efficacy endpoint of SVR12. Of the 62 patients (4.1 percent) who failed to achieve SVR12, 36 patients (2.4 percent) experienced virologic failure: 35 due to relapse and only one patient due to on-treatment breakthrough (with documented non-compliance). Twenty-six patients (1.7 percent) were lost to follow-up or withdrew consent.
Fewer adverse events were observed in the RBV-free, fixed-dose combination arms compared to the RBV-containing arms in all ION studies. Adverse events observed in those taking the SOF/LDV tablet were generally mild and included fatigue and headache. In the RBV-containing arms of the ION studies, the most common adverse events were fatigue, headache, nausea and insomnia. Anemia, which is a common side effect associated with RBV, was reported in 0.5 percent of patients in the SOF/LDV arms versus 9.2 percent of patients in the RBV-containing arms. Less than 1 percent of patients in the studies discontinued treatment due to treatment-emergent adverse events."
Good luck!
Hector
If you are 1b talk to your doctor about doing the Sovaldi/Olysio combination therapy. If you can get it approved it is MUCH MUCH easier to tolerate and the SVR is excellent. See COSMOS study. The interferon and ribavirin are really hard on the body and spirit. They also extend the recovery period. Whatever you end up doing, good luck.
Recommended Dose in Adults
Recommended Regimens and Treatment Duration for SOVALDI Combination Therapy in HCV Mono-infected and HCV/HIV -1 Co-infected Patients
Patients with genotype 1 or 4 CHC
Treatment
SOVALDI + peginterferon alfa + ribavirin
Duration
12 weeks
http://www.gilead.com/~/media/Files/pdfs/medicines/liver-disease/sovaldi/sovaldi_pi.pdf
Recommended Regimens and Treatment Duration for SOVALDI Combination Therapy in HCV Mono-infected and HCV/HIV -1 Co-infected Patients
Patients with genotype 1 or 4 CHC
Treatment
SOVALDI + peginterferon alfa + ribavirin
Duration
12 weeks
http://www.gilead.com/~/media/Files/pdfs/medicines/liver-disease/sovaldi/sovaldi_pi.pdf
I read your profile, I believe your a 1b? If that is correct I believe you will be treating with interferon. I read where your dealing with Fibromyalgia. This website explains about extra hepatic manifestations. I was diagnosed by my Rhuematologist while seeing him for symptoms of Fibromyalgia.
Treatment it is so much shorter now then before!
http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets_pdf/Extrahepatic.pdf
Good luck truehead!!!!
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